Destiny That Wasn't
by beaner008
Summary: For her whole life, Prue thought that her sister's death was her fault. Together with her sisters, Prue goes on a mission to understand how and why things went wrong even at the risk of changing the present. with Paige
1. Chapter 1: How It Came To Be

Part 1

Prue - 12

Piper - 10

Phoebe - 5

Paige - 4

Grams pulled up to the Manor late that afternoon. It had been a long day. With four busy girls, there was so much that she was always doing. She was constantly hoping that she was raising them right, that she wasn't making mistakes with them. She helped the girls out of the car. Paige was asleep in the back seat. Prue took Phoebe's hand and led her up the steps. The girls were happy and things were okay.

The girls' mother had died in a car accident a few years earlier. Their father had left soon after that. It was too much for him. He left the girls. However, despite the circumstances, their grams took good care of them. She loved them more than anyone ever could

"Prue, can we go to the park again today?" Phoebe asked as they climbed the steps.

"Once today wasn't enough?" Prue asked.

"No. Can we go again?"

Piper was on one side holding Phoebe's hand and making sure she didn't fall. Prue looked back at Grams who gently shook her head.

"Not today, Pheebs. Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is too far away," Phoebe whined as she headed into the house.

Prue looked at Grams with pleading eyes. Grams gave a smile.

"I know, Prue, but the answer is still No. It's late and we need to get dinner on the table and them to bed," Grams said with a weak smile.

"How about tomorrow?" Prue asked eagerly.

Grams hesitated more than usual. Something was in her eye.

"Sure . . .tomorrow sounds good."

Prue took Paige from her Grams and led her into the living room.

"Piper, sweetheart, you want to help with dinner?"

Piper came running in.

"Yeah, what are we making?" Piper asked.

" I don't know what do you want to make?" Grams asked as she led her into the kitchen.

Prue sat with Paige on the couch. She was grumpy though. She had just woken up and she didn't want to sit with Prue. Prue was trying her best to read her sister a book but no avail.

"NO!" Paige said as she struggled to get out of Prue's arms. "No, book. I want Piper."

"Piper's doing dinner, Paige. You have to wait."

"No, I don't want to."

Paige finally got free from Prue's grasp and fell onto the rugged floor. Phoebe skipped in. She had forgotten about her disappointment about the park. She never really dwelled on things like that for long. As for Paige, she would hold a grudge for weeks, even at four.

"What are we doing?" phoebe asked as she climbed next to Prue.

"Reading," prue said seeing her opportunity.

Phoebe snuggled in next to Prue. With Paige pouting on the floor, Prue continued with the book.

Later that nigh as the girls were getting ready for bed, Prue sat next to Phoebe on her bed. Paige was being put to bed across the room.

"Hey, Prue?"

"What?" prue asked as she put away the storybook she had just finished.

"My stomach hurts."

Phoebe had been known to complain about things just to stay up. The kid was smart.

"Phoebe," Prue said with a gentle warning. "Go to sleep, baby. I'll see you in the morning."

Prue looked at her sisters and kissed them good night. She knew she shouldn't have favorites, but at least at the moment Phoebe was her favorite. she was so uncomplicated. She loved you no matter what. She rarely got made and rarely cried. She was so easy to love. At twelve, that was what prue needed.

The next day was Sunday. When Phoebe hadn't come down yet at noon, Prue went up the stairs to get thegirl up. It wasn't surprising that Phoebe wasn't up yet, but thye didn't like having Phoebe sleep so long.

"Phoebe?" Prue knocked and came in.

Phoebe hadn't tossed her blankets to the side. Nor had she moved from the position. Prue walked over to her calling her name gently as she did. No response. She touched Phoebe's forehead. It was cold.


	2. Chapter 2: Years Later

Part 2

Prue stared at her pictures in front of her lost in thought. She heard a knock at the door.

"Yeah?" she asked as she pretended she was busy.

"Dinner's ready," she heard a small voice say.

She looked up and saw her youngest sister standing before her. At twenty-one, her sister was working as an assistant in the Bay Area Social Services office. Prue had never been so proud. The three of them were now living at home in the Manor they grew up in.

The sisters had been close for a long time, but things have always been different in Prue since Phoebe died. Paige saw it in her every time she looked at her. She could never reach that part of her sister. She wondered if it was possible.

Since the sisters discovered their powers soon after their grams died, they got even closer than they were before. Paige moved back home and the girls were constantly watching their backs. It was rare for them to have a dinner at home. With Piper and the club and the other girls working, dinner at home together was a rarity.

"How was work?" Piper asked as she served herself some stirfry.

"It was okay, there was this case of lead poisoning we had to deal with," Paige said casually as she reached across the table for some bread.

Piper eyed Prue. She saw her sister's face change. Prue told them that she needed a drink and got up. Piper immediately turned to Paige.

"I'm sorry," was Paige's response. "I didn't . . I didn't think about what I was saying."

Piper thought about yelling at her sister, but knew full well that her sister was telling the truth. She smiled sympathetically at her sister.

"It's okay," Piper said gently. "Just, you know, . . . It's prue."

There was a moment of silence.

"Do you think she'll ever get over it, Pip?" Paige asked quietly, knowing she was treading on thin ice.

Piper looked at her for a moment, thinking.

"She's forgiven a lot of people and healed a lot since it happened, but I don't think she'll ever get over it. I don't think any of us will," Piper replied.

"I didn't get over it. I guess I shouldn't have said that. But I think that I've moved on."

"I know, sweetie, but with Prue, you know you need to let her move at her own pace."

The girls quickly changed the subject as Prue came back into the room. There was rarely tiptoeing around the subject, but when there was tension filled every room. It was simply a subject that you didn't discuss. It was too hard to discuss. It hurt too much.

Later that night after dinner, Paige laid looking at the ceiling. She felt as if she needed to apologize. She needed to say something to her sister. After Prue had come back to the table, they had talked about demons, work and such but nothing more.

Paige had always felt like she needed to meet this standard with her sister, but she never knew what it was. Like she had to prove something, as if that could make it better, like that would make Prue happy. It would heal her pain. So, Paige tried, she hoped and she could be the best. She got the best grades. She got into one of the best colleges. She got a good job. However, still, Paige tried to be better. But how far will she go?

Luckily, a noise broke her thought. It was coming from the attic. As she headed up the stairs, her sisters met her; they had also heard the three of them crept up the stairs. Paige had a feel inside of her. She was sure her sisters didn't either. She felt the feeling that this was something more. Whatever was in the attic was different than what they had seen in the past three years of being witches. Little did she know, her sisters felt the chill too.

At the book stood a darkly dressed man, a hood covering his face. He was looking at the book. How can he be so close to the book. Prue waved her arm, but nothing happened the man didn't move. He looked up. They couldn't see his eyes but they knew they were looking at him.

"What do want?" Prue asked standing in front of her sisters.

The man gave a little chuckle and a shake of his head.

"I came here looking for something," said the cloaked man. "But it's not here. I've heard there was another sister."

Immediately, the girls felt Prue tense, what they didn't feel is that they tensed too.

"Get out of here, you have no right—''

"Talk about her, Prue?"

He knew them. who was he?

"There is more about her death than you know," the man said,

Piper couldn't read his voice. She had now come out from behind her sister and was standing beside her.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"I mean just what I say. You're Grams knew more about her death than you know."

Before Prue could throw the man across the room he was gone. Paige looked at her sisters. She was about to orb after him but Piper held her back.

"No, Paige stay here." Piper looked at Prue. "What do we do? Do we believe him?"

The sisters looked at Prue hoping for an answer. Prue shook her head. She looked angry, but she kindly looked at her sisters.

"Don't listen to him. he's probably sent by the source to throw us off.—''

"We've hurt the source, Prue. With that massive attack that he made last, we've wounded him. Leo says he's not going to bother us for a long time." Paige pleaded.

"Paige," Prue said maternally. "We're going to drop it. We don't even know if they guy is good or evil."

Prue took a deep breath. She built up her words.

"Phoebe died. She died because she chewed some stupid bar at the playground when she was five. She had lead poisoning. It is not supernatural."

Prue gave her sisters a reassuring

That was it. That was all she said. prue sighed and went down to Paige's room. She frowned. It was empty.


	3. Chapter 3: The Person You Want Me To Be

Part 3

"Hey, honey, what are you doing up? It's past 2:00am."

Paige looked up just as Prue noticed what was in her lap.

"What are you looking at? Why do you have the book?"

Paige didn't answer. Prue sat quietly try her best to remain calm.

"What are you doing up this late?" paige asked changing the subject.

Though she saw what her sister was doing, she decided to continue.

"I was checking on you."

"And you couldn't sleep," Paige corrected. "But you usually go downstairs for some tea."

"Enough, what are you doing up here?"

"I want to figure out what the man-"

"Demon."

"Demon said," Paige said quietly. " We don't know it's a demon, Prue."

"Paige, I thought we decided that we were going to drop this."

"No, you decided." Paige met her sister's eyes. "I want answers, Prue."

Prue's face hardened.

"Paige, what more answers do you need?"

"I want to know if it's true."

Prue stood up with a sigh.

"I don't want you to and you're not doing it," she said sternly. "You're going to walk into some trap fueled by this lie. You have to let it go."

"What like you?" paige angrily retorted.

Prue was taken aback by this. She had let go. She had let go a long time ago.

"Paige, I don't need this right now. It's late. I don't want to do this. Let this go. I don't want you to go looking for trouble."

"I'm not backing down from this. I know . . .I feel that I need to pursue it."

"Your feelings are wrong!" Prue scolded.

"Don't preach to me about feeling, Prue," Paige retorted. "Phoebe may have easily submitted to you but I won't. I'm not Phoebe PRUE!"

"I never said you were," Prue said quietly.

"But you always wanted me to be," Paige replied.

She picked up the book in her arms and headed downstairs. Leaving a stunned Prue standing alone, as always.

Did she? It was such a long time ago. Had she not let go? Brushing aside her feelings she started back toward the stairs. She paused at the bottom. No, she wasn't going to apologize. She couldn't.

* * *

There was a gentle knock at the door as Paige slid on her sweater.

"Come in."

"What happened?" Piper asked as she sat on the bed.

Paige stopped questioning how her sister knew everything a long time ago.

"We had a fight," Paige said with a sigh

"About?"

Piper watched as her sister hesitated.

"Phoebe . . ."

"Here are the proofs you asked for," Derrick said quietly.

Prue gave a smile and took them but didn't say anything. Derrick looked at the pictures on Prue's desk. He pointed at a picture of Phoebe when she was three.

"She's adorable is she your daughter?"

Prue followed his gaze.

"No, she's my sister," she said quietly as she returned to the proofs.

Derrick was too oblivious to notice how uncomfortable Prue was.

"Wow, age difference. How old is she now?"

Prue took a long moment before she answered.

"She . . . died a long time ago," her voice was quiet as if stepping on glass.

Derrick looked at her like no one else had. He had a softness in his eyes that described a deeper sympathy that could never be fully understood.

"I'm so sorry for you. Do you mind if I asked how?"

"Lead poisoning when she was five." Prue stood up and began to gather her things. "Listen, I need to go down the dark room. Are we done here?"

Derrick was silent, knowing that he stepped over the line asking her. The power strong, hard-heart of the office had been brought to a weak point. He did not want to be the one who did that. He gave a weak nod and was unable to form any words of apology.

"Yeah."

"Good."

Prue headed for the door.

"Prue." She turned. "I'm sorry if I stepped over the line."

Prue gave a weak smile.

"Don't worry about it."

As Prue left, she knew that Derrick didn't step over the line. She knew that he didn't open those old wounds by himself. They were already open. Was she going to let them ha unt her for the rest of her life?


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets Revealed

Part 4

Later that afternoon, Paige sat at her desk sifting through her newest case file

"Hey, you."

Paige looked up from her file to see Prue standing there. She glanced over at the wall clock. 5:45pm. Already, Paige thought sadly. She felt as if she had done no work.

She began to pick up her desk.

"What's up?" she asked quietly, knowing that she was still treading on thin ice because of last night.

Prue pulled up a chair to her sister's desk. Paige stopped packing up, but didn't meet her sister's eyes.

"I thought I might check in to see what you found out last night," Prue said simply.

Paige looked up from her work. She saw something different in her sister's eyes that she had never seen before in all the years that she knew her sister.

"What changed your mind?"

Paige decided not to add, "after all these years."

"I don't know," Prue responded looking at her reflection in the dark window. "My gut."

"Prue! Paige!" Piper yelled as she came through the doors of the Manor.

She dropped the groceries in the kitchen and began up the stairs. She had felt like the house wife taking care of her sisters and then sometimes she felt like a soccer mom, mediating between her sisters. The house was quiet.

She peaked inside the bedrooms. No one. Oh, no, Piper thought as she headed up to the attic in frustration. And of course, there they were, standing around the book.

"What happened?" Piper asked as she approached her sisters.

"Nothing," Prue said casually as she continued to skim through the book.

"—Yet," Paige finished.

"Well, what are you doing?" Piper asked starting to get irritateds.

"We're checking to see if that man was legit," Paige said casually.

Piper eyed her sisters. This is a change, she thought. However, she did not say anything. Prue caught her eye and gave a weak smile. Piper stared at the page that was open.

"Wait, who exactly are you summoning?" she asked. "You are not seriously going to ask demon after demon, are you?"

"Yes," they replied in a matter of fact way.

They had been witches for barely three years, Piper thought at the frantically. It didn't make them experts or certainly not good enough to go up against any demon she finds in the Book of Shadows. And with that, before Piper could say anything in protest, her sisters were chanting a spell. She felt an arm pull her back as a mist began to swirl. Piper began to mutter in frantic worry, but noticed the crystals placed strategically around the room. As the demon materialized into the room, Prue stepped forward, or she and Paige stepped a little further back. Piper could not tell which.

"What do you know about Phoebe Halliwell?"

"What? What is going on?" he asked as he looked around in shock.

"What do you know about Phoebe Halliwell?" Prue scolded more loudly this time.

"Who? Damn witches!"

"Wrong answer," Prue said as she threw a vanquishing potion at his chest.

This was exactly how it went for about a dozen more demons.

"Prue, you need to stop," Paige said taking her arm.

Prue had ignored the subject of her sister for over 17 years. Now she was saying her name over and over without any ease. It is as if Prue opened feelings within her and now they were out of her control. Prue did not turn to see her sisters, but rather she said the spell again.

"Prue, stop---'' Piper yelled.

However, before Prue finished the spell another, lighter mist filled the room.

"Yes, Prudence, stop."

Grams stood before. They had not seen her since they had become witches, more specifically they haven't seen her since she died.

"What---''

"Am I doing here?" Grams finished. " I came here with some answers."

However, the tone in her voice was soft, unusual for a buoyant Grams.

"So . . ." Piper asked as she took Paige's hand and they stepped closer to Prue.

They were all afraid to hear what Grams had to say, but no one said a word. They waited for Grams to continue. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Whoever you heard it from had no right.---'' Grams began.

"To what, Grams?" Piper asked, more harshly than she intended; she too had emotions she had yet to deal with.

"He had no right to tell you things." Grams paused for a moment. "Her death wasn't an accident."

Paige stepped up to them. She had not said a word for awhile.

"What do you mean? Who was he?"

"Phoebe's death is more complicated than you ever thought."

"Wait a minute. Hold on just one second," Piper scolded unintentionally pointing an accusatory finger at Grams. "You never would have told us this is that man hadn't---''

"No, I guess not." Grams said without taking long to think.

Prue lost it then.

"It was an ACCIDENT. You have no idea how many years I've told myself that. You have no idea how many years it took me to believe it! Now you are here telling us, me that it wasn't an accident. I spent years blaming myself. It took so long for me . . . How dare you!"

Prue paced in the room's silence.

"Who did it? What happened?" Paige finally asked.

"I did." There it was.


	5. Chapter 5: Grief & Its Consequences

Part 5

The three of them turned to look at her. Piper felt her knees grow weak. The parent she relied on killed her sister.

"W-ha-a-t?" Paige asked shakily.

"If I didn't, they would."

Before Grams could finish her thought, she felt herself being pulled away. She looked at the girls sympathetically before she was pulled away by a force that could not be controlled.

Piper's was weak. What just happened? This could not be right. This could not be true. One of the people who she trusted the most was a killer. Piper fell to the ground.

"Th-th-this isn't right. It's not true. Why would she---'' Piper trailed off.

Prue was angry. angrier than Paige had ever seen. It was as if all of the anger, fear and grief that she had been beneath the surface since Phoebe was all surfacing at this very moment. It was at that moment when she knew that she couldn't take it. She couldn't breathe.

She felt herself leaving the room. It's as if she didn't have control, her emotions were leading her away from what had haunted her for so long.

"No!" a voice suddenly called out. "Don't you dare walk out, Prue. You're not the only on who lost her."

This stopped Prue.

"Don't you think I know that, Piper?" Prue asked shakily, but did not turn around.

"No, Prue. I don't think you do. I know you've had this weight on your shoulder forever, but it hurts me. I wonder every day what kind of woman she would become. I think about her all the time." Piper's voice began to shake.

Paige was still sitting on the floor. She heard her older sister's voices break. She had thought all these things too. The Phoebe in her head was the one who bridged her to Prue. She was the connection. Without Phoebe, Paige didn't have Prue.

"We'll I'm sorry," Prue said still not turning around.

Before either Paige or Piper could say anything, Prue left. Piper started toward the door, but then stopped as if realizing Paige was still in the room.

"Hey Missy Paige," Piper said soothingly as she sat down next to Paige and enveloped her. "You're alight. I got you."

Paige let the damn break. She couldn't even get her thoughts around why she was upset. Everything just seemed shattered. Everything she thought, everything she believed was not what she imagined, not even close.

Prue was pacing in her room. This couldn't be right. This can't be happening! She couldn't wrap her mind around the situation. Her closet was slightly ajar and she noticed a box on the top shelf.

She brought it out and opened it.

It was her Phoebe box. She had literally put Phoebe in a box. Every drawing that she did before she died, every picture of her that Grams tried to put up of her afterward so that they would not forget, her favorite book Cinderella, and more. It was all there.

Prue realized that tears were cascading down her face. She sat there for a moment stuck in the past. A childhood that she spent mournful, an adolescence she spent angry, and an early adulthood that she spend distant. Everything went back to Phoebe and in a way Prue had carried Phoebe around with her. But she didn't carry the good parts, she just carried the part that she was gone. Suddenly, Prue felt the anger rising in her. Leaving the contents of the box scatted on her bed, she wiped her tears furiously and headed for the attack.

Prue barely noticed her sisters on the floor crying. She stomped over to the book and began flipping.

"Prue, what are you doing?"

"I'm fixing this."

"Prue-''

Paige tried to intercede. Before she could, Prue began to chant.

Power of witches rise,  
course unseen across the skies  
come to us to call you near,  
come to us and settle here

Suddenly the room began turn. The magic that that they had known for three years was meager compared to what they were seeing at the moment. Suddenly a figure appeared in the room. She was crouched on the floor.

A woman of just over five feet stood up when she saw the women. Her hair was lighter than Prue though it would be. Her eyes were older. Tired, worn, broken. She must have been in her mid twenties, but Prue knew her anywhere.

"Phoebe?" Prue was shocked

"Prue?" the figure echoed.

Prue couldn't take her eyes off of Phoebe.

"We just buried you yesterday," Phoebe finally said. "You're dead."


	6. Chapter 6: The Result of Prue's Choice

Part 6

They all looked at each other in shock. Piper and Paige seemed to have heard Phoebe's words, but Prue hadn't. She pulled Phoebe to her and held on tightly. Phoebe fell into the hug. Sobbing sobs that she had just released with Piper a moment earlier in her own time.

"I just want to tell you that it was me," Phoebe sobbed. "I ruined your leather jacket, not Piper. I'm so sorry."

Prue's brow tightened.

"What are you talking about?"

Phoebe pulled away slightly and wiped her tears.

"Your jacket, remember? My boyfriend's cat peed on it and you thought it was Piper's fault? . . . Remember?"

It was at that moment that Phoebe looked around the room and realized that the girl from her premonition was standing in the room.

"Has Shax attacked you yet?" Phoebe asked.

"Who?" Paige replied.

"Piper help me out here," Phoebe said switching her gaze to Piper.

It was at that moment that she realized that the Piper before her was not her Piper.

Phoebe shot up and stepped away from the girls.

"You're not real! This is just another one of the Source's plans." Phoebe backed away from her sisters and began to look at the ceiling. "Piper! Leo! Cole!"

"Who's Cole?" Piper asked tears still escaping from her eyes on the sight of seeing Phoebe.

Phoebe ran through the attic door and down the stairs leaving the three shocked sisters behind her in the attic.

Paige was the first to say something.

"Prue, what have you done?"

With that Paige ran down after Phoebe. Prue knew that Paige was right. They were just beginning to learn about the order and the grand scheme of the whole universe of magic. Prue realized at that moment that she had messed it up. But how? She wasn't that powerful. Suddenly she felt a hand tug hers.

"We need to find her," Piper said as she pulled Prue toward the stairs.

Prue followed unsure of what she had done.

Paige found Phoebe in the kitchen just as Phoebe grabbed the keys to Piper's jeep. They were in the same place in any time.

"Phoebe stop!"

Phoebe turned and looked at the girl.

"Who are you?" she asked accusingly.

Paige knew without hesitation that she didn't want to ask the question that sat on the tip of her tongue. She didn't want her heart to break again. For her sister not to know her seemed too unbearable. If it wasn't said out loud then it wasn't real.

"Wherever you are from, Phoebe, you know as well as I do that we need to fix this. And we can't fix it f you go out that door," Paige pleaded with her older sister.

Phoebe took at moment to look at the girl in front of her. She had a good point. However, after all she had been through she wasn't going to sink into things without question. This may look like her house, but it certainly wasn't her reality.

"How do I know that you're not working for the Source?" she asked with her hand on her hips.

"Ask me something that only a Halliwell would know." Paige knew she was gambling, she could see on Phoebe's face that she didn't even think that Paige was a Halliwell.

"Where was my Grams born?" Phoebe asked.

"Boston."

"This isn't going to work. We're not from the same reality!" Phoebe said frustrated "Where is Piper?" Phoebe asked desperately as she walked back into the interior of the Manor.

She missed Paige's devastated look.

"I'm right here," Piper called as she came to the bottom of the stairs with Prue in tow.

"No, my Piper!" Phoebe's eyes were starting to well up. "I can't do this. Not now! Not today! Leo!"

The room filled with light.

"Leo, thank God! Please take me to Piper."

Leo looked at her sympathetically.

"Phoebe, you need to sit down. You need to trust them. They aren't here to hurt you."

Phoebe calmed slightly and sat down.

"Is Piper okay?" Phoebe asked as she took a seat on cushions that looked like hers.

"Piper's right here, Phoebe." Leo replied.

Phoebe's face fell. She wasn't getting anywhere. She began to shake her head

"No, she's not!" Phoebe shot up and ran up the stairs.

When the girls caught up to her she was flipping through the Book of Shadows.

Prue was at her side.

"Phoebe-"

"Get away from me, you're dead!" Phoebe protested. "How can the Source do this to us? You died. You died because of me and now you're here and I don't know what's happening!"

Phoebe was no longer talking to them. Words began to flow from her mouth.

"I can't do this. I can't! We buried you! And it hurts so much hat I can't breath. And now you're hear! I can't, I just can't."

Sobs engulfed her body and Phoebe gave in to Prue's arms and slid to the floor.


	7. Chapter 7:Figuring Things Out

Part 7

Phoebe gathered herself but still had such a hard time removing herself from Prue's arms. Phoebe knew that this wasn't her reality. For goodness sakes, she still questioned whether it was real. However, wherever she was, she was back in Prue's arms and she was grateful for that. She let herself sink into that moment. She didn't want to leave that moment.

_Phoebe. _She heard the voice of reason in her head. It scolded her gently, but still brought her out of her thoughts. It almost sounded like Prue, her Prue. At that moment, Phoebe knew that she had to figure this out. This wasn't where she was supposed to be. This wasn't her destiny

Phoebe pulled herself from Prue's arms. She looked over her shoulder to make sure the girl and Piper were still there.

"We need to figure this out," Phoebe said in an assuring tone. "Tell me how I got here."

Piper exchanged a look with her sisters. Where to begin? How can se express the pain? Paige too didn't know where to start. All her life the older sister that she always wanted to know was asking her how it all happened. Should Paige explain that every night of her adolescence that made her feel inferior. Those nights when she cried herself to sleep believing that everything would be better if her sister Phoebe was next to her holding her and telling her things were okay. Paige knew that she had lived in a fantasy but it was still her childhood nonetheless.

Phoebe saw the look on all of the girls' faces. They were all pained.

"What happened to me?" Phoebe finally asked intuitively knowing that something had.

Tears started to well up in Piper's eyes. Prue and Paige both opened their mouths to speak but nothing came out. At that moment, Phoebe knew.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Phoebe asked. Prue shook her head as a single tear ran down her cheek. "When?"

"A long time ago," Prue replied.

"A long time ago," Piper assured.

"But when, that might be the key," Phoebe said trying her best to get over the shock.

"When you were five . . ." Paige said quietly. "we thought it was because of lead poisoning."

Phoebe looked at Paige. She examined her features, her eyes, her cheek bones.

"We're just trying to figure this all out," Prue finished as she followed Phoebe's.

"You're my sister," Phoebe said not removing her eyes from Paige. "That's why I saw you at the funeral."

Paige didn't know what to say.

"Prue's funeral that is. . . . yesterday . . ." Phoebe voice trailed off.

Paige found her voice, but Piper could tell that she was trying her best to keep calm, but her voice shook as words came out.

"Yes, I'm your sister. . . . well, half sister."

Prue and Piper looked toward Paige. They never talked to Paige about being their half-sister. They never treated her like she was, but their Grams never withheld that piece of information as a secret. However, Piper knew that ever since Phoebe died, Paige had felt inferior to Phoebe. The half was always emphasized in Paige's head, and Prue and Piper knew that. Prue put a hand on Paige's leg reassuring her.

Phoebe saw this.

"Did you grow up here?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, this has always been her home," Piper said with a slight edge to her voice.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe could recognize that edge in any Piper. "I just don't understand why I'm here."

"Prue summoned you," Paige said sharply, more sharply than she had intended.

Phoebe caught Paige's edge too. She could see her own insecurities from her relationship with Prue in her own time in Paige.

"Well, I'm obviously the wrong witch you're looking for," Phoebe said quietly. "How long have you been witches?"

"Three years," Prue replied. "Paige said the incantation not long after—''

"Grams died?" Phoebe finished. "I said it in my time. Oh man, Prue were you angry."

Paige cracked a smile for the first time.

"She was in our reality too."

"There seems to be one constant here in both of our times. There are only always three of us. . ." Phoebe trailed off.

"So what does this mean?" Piper asked.

"It means that somewhere, destiny and fates went array. We all know I'm not supposed to be here," Phoebe said catching Prue's eye before looking away.

It ached to see her alive; it hurt especially knowing that the Prue in front of her wasn't her Prue.

"So the question is," Paige finally breaks the silence. "What do we do?"

Before any of them could say anything a boom from the attic interrupted their thoughts.

Piper and Paige reached the attic first. As the mist cleared, there stood another Piper with nothing but anger on her face

"What the hell?" the new Piper asked no one.

"Piper?" Paige asked taking a step closer to her.

"Where the hell is my sister? Does the Source really think you can pull this bullshit on my twice in one week?" the new Piper raised her hands, threatening to blow them up.

Piper also raised her hands into the same position in response. Phoebe ran into the room with Prue on her heels.

"Piper!" Phoebe yelled. "Don't!"

The new Piper took two long strides toward Phoebe and pulled her into a strong hug cupping the back of her head in her hand.

"I was so scared! You were just pulled away from me," the new Piper pulled back and cradled Phoebe's hand in her hands. "You think I wouldn't come for you?"

"I never doubted it," Phoebe said tearfully. In the past few days they had been through so much in their reality. Shax, Dr. Griffiths, Prue, her funeral and now this? Phoebe knew that Piper wouldn't just give up, but she also knew that Piper wouldn't be easy to work with.

(From Phoebe's time line, the one that we are familiar with, will now be referred to as New Piper or ) started to take in her surroundings. She pulled away from Phoebe and took her hand. Phoebe looked at her Piper. She was much more angry, hurt, tough, and even damaged. The other Piper was more sad, but still a tamer version than .

looked at herself and then Paige, but finally she caught sight of Prue. Her face softened and tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Prue?"

Prue stepped forward unsure of what to say or even how to feel. She saw the anguish and heartbreak on 's face, but couldn't feel it in herself. She had lost a sister, but not in the way that they had.

"Piper, we need to talk," Phoebe finally said.

An hour later it was all out there. The two realities were finally revealed. Leaving little for anyone to say. Still however, the Pipers paced. Prue pulled Piper down and started murmuring to her. N. Piper remained pacing.

Phoebe watched this Prue and Piper. She saw that the bond that Piper and Prue had in her universe was so drastic than the one is this universe. This strange Piper knew Prue, but she didn't trust her with her feelings. It was if this Piper was expecting Prue to disappoint her.

Paige and Phoebe caught each other's eye. Phoebe nodded toward the attic and Paige consented with her eyes.

N. Piper noticed them leaving the room and heading toward the other stairs as did Piper.

"Where are you going?" Both of them asked.

"Attic," they replied without turning around.


	8. Chapter 8: Some Answers

Part 8

Prue and the Pipers had followed the girls to the attic to find Phoebe and Paige searching through the book.

"We want answers," Phoebe said.

"So who else are we going to get them from, but—'' Paige said.

"Grams," Paige and Phoebe said together.

"I doubt that it's going to work," Prue said. "She got pulled away from us."

"Well, they can't ignore us. I mean there are five of us. There is clearly an issue," responded.

Prue nodded in agreement. Each of them gathered around the book. The girls began to mutter the words.

Power of witches rise,  
course unseen across the skies  
come to us to call you near,  
come to us and settle here

Finally, lights bathed the room. Three figured materialized in front of them.

"Leo?" muttered and started toward him but Phoebe held her back.

"Not yours, Pip," Phoebe whispered. They watched as the Piper from this alternate reality started toward him, but was then eyed by they other figure in the room.

"Who are you?" Prue asked to the strange third figure.

"My name is Giovanni, I'm an elder."

"Wonderful," both Pipers muttered in distaste.

"Grams," Paige said with an expectant tone.

"I expect you girls want some answers," Penny finally said with the same stoic tone that each of them all knew.

Prue gave her grandmother a small smile.

"As you all know Melinda Warren had a prophecy, The Power of Three," Grams began.

"And it was just that, a power that belonged to three witches," Giovanni interjected.

"What are you saying?" Piper asked agitated.

"Are you saying that because there were four of us, you were willing to do anything to avoid jeopardizing that all-mighty Power of Three?" asked with anger.

Giovanni held his ground but was beginning to feel threatened by the power in the room.

"I'm afraid. It's not that simple," he said with the calmest tone that he could muster.

"Isn't it?" Prue asked.

Giovanni then looked at the ceiling. He was being called.

"I will return," he said solemnly. "And yes, Prue it is that simple."

After he was gone, the girls turned to Penny and Leo who had so far been silent.

"What's happening, Leo?" Piper asked as she went over to him and embraced him.

"Whoever the man you girls saw that tipped you off must have been a very powerful man. He has ultimately throne the order off balance."

"No kidding! There are two sets of Charmed Ones in one universe!" Penny said with annoyance. "Giovanni wasn't telling you is that it was the Elders that did it. The Elders knew that the Charmed Ones would do great good so they intercepted. Your mother and Sam were going to give the baby up. It was such a difficult choice. When it came time to choose, the didn't have the heart to.—''

"That must have been what they did in our time," muttered to Phoebe.

She didn't notice Paige's look. Phoebe did and she couldn't read it. It was almost as if Paige was saddened that she was given up but grateful that Phoebe was spared.

Leo went on.

"The Elders knew that something had to be done before you girls came into your powers. Before Patty died, she bound all of your powers, but that wasn't good enough."

"So what you're saying is that the Power of Three can only be the power of THREE," Prue said anxiously.

"Yes, that morning before we all went to park, my whitelighter came to me. He told me that Elders had put Fate into action. Phoebe was going to get very sick. They wanted her to die slowly by a "natural death" so that their tracks could be covered. If you knew that your child whom you loved more than anything was going to go through pain for years, wouldn't you want to stop that?---''

"She could have fought, Grams," Piper said tearfully.

"No she couldn't have. Can't you see? The Elders set this all up. I needed to stop that sweet little girl go through something that was out of her control," Grams said with sad desperation.

The girls didn't know what to say. Paige, who had been standing next to Phoebe left the attic without any explanation. Phoebe started after her, but Piper stopped her and went after her herself.

Piper found Paige on her bed with her back against the door.

"Paige?" Piper asked as she entered the room quietly

"I can't do this, Piper," Paige said with her back still to her sister.

"Yes, you can Missy Paige," Piper said as sat down next to Paige and let her lean against her shoulder.

"Don't you understand, Piper? It's my fault," Paige whispered. "My presence, my existence killed her. They eliminated her because in their eyes I had the better power."

Piper enveloped her in a hug. She didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to comfort her?

"Don't ever say that," a new voice said.

It was Phoebe. She walked over to the bed and knelt down in front of Paige.

"I'm sorry that I never knew you in my reality. However, I know that any Halliwell of any universe should never be ashamed of her power. Your power did not kill me, selfishness of the Elders did. Melinda Warren may have prophesized The Power of Three, but it doesn't mean that Power was limited to three women. They made that assumption." Phoebe took Paige's hands in hers. "You did not cause any of this, stupidity did."

Piper watched her sister that she never knew talk to Paige. Her heart broke because she knew that was what Paige needed to hear.

"And the four of you certainly do make a powerful team," a deep voice said from the darkness of Paige's room.

The three of them stood up. Piper was ready to blow him up but Paige stopped her.

"That's the man we saw," she whispered.

"Cole?"


End file.
